The Rinzai school (臨済宗; Japanese: Rinzai-shū, Chinese: línjì zōng) is one of the three Japanese Zen sects. is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Rinzai is the Japanese line of the Chinese Linji school, which was founded during the Tang Dynasty by Linji Yixuan (Japanese: Rinzai Gigen). China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by Línjì Yìxuán (臨済義玄 Wade-Giles: Lin-chi I-hsüan; Japanese: Rinzai Gigen) (?–866 was the founder of the Linji school is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities Línjì Yìxuán (臨済義玄 Wade-Giles: Lin-chi I-hsüan; Japanese: Rinzai Gigen) (?–866 was the founder of the Linji school Though there were several attempts to establish Rinzai lines in Japan, it first took root in a lasting way through the efforts of the monk Myōan Eisai, following his return from China in 1191. Myōan Eisai (明菴栄西 ( April 20, 1141 – July 5, 1215) was a Japanese Buddhist priest credited with bringing the Eisai is thus usually credited with the transmission of Rinzai to Japan. The school may be said to have truly flowered, and achieved a distinctly Japanese identity, with Shuho Myocho (Daito Kokushi, 1283-1337) and Muso Soseki (1275-1351), influential masters that did not travel to China to study. ( 1275 - October 20, 1351) was a Rinzai Zen Buddhist Monk. His mother was the daughter of Hōjō Masamura.
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Characteristics
Rinzai Zen is marked by the emphasis it places on kensho ("seeing one's true nature", or enlightenment) as the gateway to authentic Buddhist practice, and for its insistence on many years of exhaustive post-enlightenment training to embody the free functioning of wisdom within the activities of daily life. Kenshō (見性 (C Wu) is a Japanese term for enlightenment experiences—most commonly used within the confines of Zen Buddhism. Training centered on koan is one tool to this end, which the Rinzai school developed to a high degree. In general, the Rinzai school is known for the rigor and severity of its training methods.
Rinzai Zen in Japan today is not a single organized body. Rather, it is divided into 15 branches, referred to by the names of their head temples. The largest and most influential of these is the Myoshin-ji branch, whose head temple was founded in 1342 by Kanzan Egen Zenji (1277–1360). Myōshin-ji ( 妙心寺) is a temple complex in Kyoto, Japan. Other major branches include Nanzen-ji and Tenryū-ji (both founded by Muso Soseki), Daitoku-ji (founded by Shuho Myocho), and Tofuku-ji (founded by Enni Ben'en, 1202-1280). or Zuiryusan Nanzen-ji, formerly Zenrin-ji (禅林寺 is a Zen Buddhist Temple in Kyoto, Japan. —more formally known as —is the head temple of the Tenryū sect of Rinzai Zen Buddhism, located in Susukinobaba-chō Ukyō Ward Kyoto, Japan ( 1275 - October 20, 1351) was a Rinzai Zen Buddhist Monk. His mother was the daughter of Hōjō Masamura. Daitoku-ji is one of fourteen autonomous branches of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen, founded in 1315 or 1319 by Shuho Myocho and located in is a Buddhist Temple in Higashiyama-ku in Kyoto city led by head abbot Keido Fukushima. It should be noted that these branches are purely organizational divisions arising from temple history and teacher-student lineage, and do not represent sectarian divide or difference in fundamental practice.
The time during which Rinzai Zen was established in Japan also saw the rise of the samurai to power. is the term for the military nobility of Pre-industrial Japan. Along with early imperial support, Rinzai came to enjoy the patronage of this newly ascendant warrior class; as the Rinzai style of Zen practice may be characterized as somewhat martial or sharp (following in the spirit of Linji Yixuan), this is perhaps not surprising. Línjì Yìxuán (臨済義玄 Wade-Giles: Lin-chi I-hsüan; Japanese: Rinzai Gigen) (?–866 was the founder of the Linji school In this regard, Rinzai is often contrasted with another sect of Zen deeply established in Japan, Sōtō, which has been called more gentle and even rustic in spirit. Sōtō-shū ( Japanese: 曹洞宗 Cáodòngzōng is one of the two major Sino - Japanese Zen sects (the other being Rinzai) A Japanese saying reflects these perceptions: "Rinzai for the Shōgun, Sōtō for the peasants" (JPN: "臨済将軍、曹洞土民" Rinzai Shōgun, Sōtō Domin). is a military rank and historical title in Japan. The Japanese word for "general" it is made up of two Kanji words sho, meaning "commander" is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities
Remarkable results of the early relationship between Rinzai Zen and the ruling classes were a strong Rinzai influence on education and government, and Rinzai contributions to a great flowering of Japanese cultural arts such as calligraphy, painting, literature, tea ceremony, Japanese garden design, architecture and even martial arts. Calligraphy (from Greek kallos "beauty" + graphẽ "writing" is the art of writing (Mediavilla 1996 17 Painting (pān'tīng in Art, is the practice of applying Color to a Surface (support base such as e Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter A tea ceremony is an Asian ritualised form of making Tea. The term generally refers to the Japanese tea ceremony. that is Gardens in traditional Japanese style can be found at private homes in neighborhood or city parks and at historical Landmarks such as Buddhist The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation Martial arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for Combat. A perhaps unanticipated result is that Soto Zen temples, with their connection and appeal to commoners, eventually came to outnumber Rinzai temples.
Aside from Rinzai and Sōtō, there is a third tradition of Zen present in Japan, the Ōbaku Zen sect. Interestingly, Ōbaku is also descended from the Chinese Linji school, and so technically may be considered a part of the Japanese Rinzai movement. However, it was brought to Japan in the 17th century, and shows significant influence from the Pure Land school. Pure Land Buddhism ( Jìngtǔzōng; 浄土教 Jōdokyō; Korean: ko-Hang 정토종 jeongtojong; Vietnamese: 浄土宗 vi This reflects the syncretistic tendencies that developed in Chinese Buddhism in the centuries after the earlier Rinzai lines had been transmitted to Japan. While Manpuku-ji, the Ōbaku headquarters temple, is considered one of the 15 Rinzai branches mentioned above, Ōbaku Zen is administratively separate from the other 14 branches and continues to maintain its own distinct identity. is the head Temple of the Japanese Ōbaku Zen sect. Founded in 1661 by the Chinese monk Yinyuan Longqi and his disciple
A final Japanese Zen sect that self-identified as descending from the Linji school was the Fuke sect; Fuke Zen was suppressed with the Meiji Restoration in the 19th century and no longer exists. Fuke Zen (普化禪 was a branch of Zen Buddhism which existed in Japan from the 13th century until the late 19th century The, also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, or Renewal, was a chain of events that led to enormous changes in Japan 's political and social structure Its influence on the development of music for the shakuhachi (bamboo flute), however, has been great. The is a Japanese end-blown Flute. Its name means "18 feet" referring to its size
Later developments
By the 18th century the Rinzai school had entered a period of stagnation and decline. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system At that time, the monk Hakuin Ekaku (1686-1769) became prominent as a revitalizer and organizer of Rinzai Zen, and his vigorous methods spearheaded a long-lasting revival. Hakuin Ekaku (白隠 慧鶴 Hakuin Ekaku, 1686-1769 or 1685-1768 was one of the most influential figures in Japanese Zen Buddhism. The influence of Hakuin and his successors was such that all Rinzai Zen masters today trace their lineage through him. Hakuin's systemization of the koan training system serves today as the framework of formal Rinzai practice.
A number of Rinzai lines have been transplanted from Japan to Europe, the Americas, and Australia, and non-Japanese practitioners have been certified as teachers and successors of those lineages. Rinzai temples, as well as practice groups led by lay practitioners, may now be found in many nations.
See also
References
"Mahayana Buddhism" Paul Williams, Routledge, ISBN 0-415-02537-0
"Zen Buddhism: A History - Japan" Heinrich Dumoulin, World Wisdom, ISBN 0-941532-90-9
Links
- Official site of The Joint Council for Japanese Rinzai and Obaku Zen (both Japanese and English language)
- The International Research Institute for Zen Buddhism, at Hanazono University (the Rinzai University) in Kyoto, Japan
- Centre Zen de la Falaise Verte (English)
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